2: Molly and Becca are my happy thoughts. They bring so much sunshine, laughter and joy into our home. I'm always fascinated by their wild imaginations. They inspire me to be daring, take chances and dream. I am so grateful for my little giggly girls. Life would not be the same without them. | Mentorship & Learning is a course which I have wanted to take since entering my 3rd year of University. I was first introduced to it by an email from one of my Political Science professors Dr. Collier. She had sent a mass email to a number of political science students who were highly recommended for this role. I was immediately flattered that I was considered for this and noticed as a primary candidate. Coming from such a large department you sometimes feel unnoticed and ignored of your personal strengths and success. But this made me realize what I had always known: I can make other lives better while at the same time enriching my own. This was MY introduction to mentorship as seen through the email below in Spring 2011, which I later signed up for in Spring 2012. | The Beginning

3: There was no particular reason why I had waited an entire school year to finally sign up for this program. I was immediately interested, but I think at the time I was nervous to take on this role. I realized I would have to step out of my comfort zone, and I maybe was not ready for that just yet. I believe that waiting a year was the best decision I made. I feel as though I have a gotten a better experience in the program now, than if I would have done it my third year. The reason being: I am a lot more confident, out-going, sure and secure with myself currently as a 4th year student. | My Optimist Plaque I was awarded at Grade 8 Graduation. For always remaining positive, enthusiastic and seeing the best in others.

4: The Optimist Creed by Christian D. Larson which is outlined on my plaque really spoke out to me when I was in grade eight, but speaks out to me even more today as a mentor. This is the creed: The Optimist Creed Promise Yourself..... To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk healthy, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is something in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself, that you have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble. - Christian D. Larson Reading through it now it really explains the role of being an optimist and how it relates to my role in mentorship. Everything I will be explaining and have experienced thus far relates to this creed. Key points will be highlighted as I go through my progress through the semester, so I will be referring back to it.

5: After I applied and was accepted into Mentorship, I was really excited to get ready, but nervous at the same time. As the first meeting was creeping up, I was scared because I did not know one person in the program. All of my friends are either in different disciplines, from different schools, or are older than me. So I knew it was going to be hard that first day not having one friend or knowing anyone. | I then talked to a former mentor (Rachelle Peltier, year 2011) about her experience, and she praised how great of a class it is. So, before orientation I already had an idea of what to expect. After the orientation I was immediately relieved. It was everything I expected it to be and more. I knew it was going to be a lot of work, but that it would be rewarding in the end. Before this meeting I was still on the fence, but afterwards I knew I would be staying. It wasn't something I could not handle, and everything gets better with a positive mindset. | Acceptance and Information Session

6: The Mentorship Orientation (September 4) and Political Science Orientation (September 5), were probably one of my favourite memories and days of mentorship. It is ironic because these two days were when I was the most scared throughout my entire mentorship process. The reason being, it was the first Mentorship meeting, and the first time I was meeting the 1st year political science students. It goes along with that aspect of being afraid of what is not familiar to you, and what you don’t know. The Mentorship Orientation was fun, and I instantly got to bond with other mentors. I realized we’re all here for the same reasons, have the same fears, same concerns, and similar interests. I realized we are all on the same level- learning, and experiencing together. This would not only be an individual process, but one shared by as a group, which was reassuring. | Orientation!

7: The Political Science Orientation was also a day I was nervous to attend. I looked at what was on the schedule for the day: creating a group cheer. I knew this was out of my element; I’m not creative when it comes to making songs or chants, so how would I possible LEAD this? I’m glad I got over my fear because it was one of my favourite experiences with the mentees. All of the students I was randomly organized with that first day were amazing. Every single one of them I wanted to have permanently in my group. They were all so nice, talkative, and already looking up to me as a mentor. What I had feared all week was a waste because the entire day was a breeze and really fun. I even had one student approach me at the end and say: “Christina I love our group! I wish this could be our group permanently!” This left me with a smile for the rest of the day. :) It showed I had done a good job with group cohesion.

8: The rest of this portfolio will now go into my experience since Day 1 of meeting my practicum group. I will the be organizing it by theme and personal growth, as shown through the pictures below of an activity Kayla had us do to get us thinking about the project. I will refer to each of these pictures as I go through my learning experience because it outlines my various high and lows.

9: I think one thing I learned from both orientations was to be confident in myself. That was the barrier holding me back from feeling excited instead of worried. I think this was one of my main struggles throughout the course- to be confident in what I was doing and saying. This was different for me because I am normally a confident person, hold myself well, and don’t care what others think of me. I am usually easy going and care-free, so it was difficult feeling unconfident at times. I think the reason for my lack of confidence was because I was doing something I do not normally do. It isn’t every day you go in front of your class and have to role-play. This was hard for me because it is not something I am particularly good at. | Self Conscious

10: Participating in class was a struggle for me as well because I am used to lecture-based classes of just listening to the professor speak. Therefore, I had gotten used to just listening, and taking information in throughout the years. I didn’t have enough practice with participation, so thinking on my feet was sometimes difficult. Therefore, I think Mentorship and Learning was such a great experience because it forced me to tap into my weaknesses and work on them, trying to make them into strengths. It forced me to go out of my element and do something brand new. | To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. - Optimist Creed

11: The first time I met my mentees I could tell they were a quiet group. I knew from this break-out and a couple that followed, that my biggest challenge would be to break them out of their shell. This is ironic because I had the exact challenge to overcome during my own mentorship process. I realized we were the same, my mentees and I. They were first years with uncertainties, and I was also a first year “mentor” with similar feelings we could relate to. I knew that during the semester I would have to find a way to break through this barrier with them and myself- we could help each other through it. | Awareness

12: I began to think of ways I could get them to open up to me and the rest of the group. I tried to tell them that we were all equal. I was not there to judge or mark them, but to help make their University experience great. I had to access servant leadership- guidance, inspiration and serving. This was a learning moment for me because I understood that I could not force my role onto them, but that they would have to come to me. I did everything I could to be there for them, but it was up to them to receive it. | To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. - Optimist Creed

13: One thing I was consistent with during mentorship was the feeling of worry before every break-out session. I always had my break-outs pre-planned with creative activities that were consistent with what Dr. Collier expected of us for the week. Yet despite this, I was not confident entering my sessions. I received engagement from my mentees, but I always doubted myself afterwards on what I could have done differently. My biggest challenge was time. I was always rushing, and never felt like I could wrap-up my breakouts clearly. I wanted to better tie things together so my mentees would understand its purpose. | The Beginning | To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble. - Optimist Creed

14: One of the main things I noticed was that I gained more group cohesion with my group on orientation day than with my permanent group 4 weeks into the course. This was because I had spent 2 hours with my group during orientation, but only about 15 minutes with my permanent group once a week. It is difficult to build a community when your time ends as soon as it begins.

15: I feel as though by time my very last session occurred I felt completely comfortable in my role. I was really upset mentorship had ended because I felt like the course had ended as soon as I made a breakthrough. But, I am an optimist and realized that this is only one large step into a journey that is far from over. This is “The Beginning,” not only from the very first meeting I had with my mentees, but the very last one as well. It is all a beginning, each breakthrough, each challenge, and each success is a beginning- a beginning of a new sense of growth. | To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. - Optimist Creed

16: All of this eventually led to a lot of questions. How was I doing in the course and how was I doing during breakouts? I think receiving feedback from my senior mentors was very beneficial for me. Sadia came to Dr. Collier’s class to watch us during our second break-out. She approached me afterwards and said she was really proud of me. She said my activity was really good and one of her favourite of the day. This provided me with reassurance, and the answer to questions I had running through my head. It was going to be fine, and I had to give myself more credit. | Questions | To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. - Optimist Creed

17: About mid-way through mentorship I felt like I was in a good spot. I had organized a midterm review session with my mentees after class hours which worked out very nicely. I was the only political science mentor to hold a midterm review session after class and I felt great that I had impacted the learning of my mentees. It was also a period of growth for me because I was not restricted on time, but had as much time as I needed for my activity. This was also a learning moment because it was the first time I felt like a teacher in the sense that I was facilitating their learning. I had a vision of myself possibly taking on this role in the future. It was the first time since high school, that I began to think seriously about becoming a teacher again. | At a good place

18: The next stop down my journey was how to reach the next level in mentoring. I had to figure out how I could reach the next level and challenge myself further. I thought the best way I could do this was through feedback sheets with my mentees. Just like how my senior mentors provided me with feedback, I wanted my mentees to do so as well. The feedback I received was all so nice and positive. It encouraged me to push harder and do better. It also helped me because one person wrote they would like to see more icebreakers at the beginning of break-outs. I used this feedback to make my next sessions stronger. I knew that the feedback they gave me was so helpful that I wanted to provide them with feedback as well. | The Next Step

19: To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. - Optimist Creed

20: One week I gave my mentees a list of personal qualities, and I told them to choose one quality on that list that they think they possess. I then incorporated this activity into a visual by writing down their quality under their name in a tree. I did this to prove my point that they are all different and have different strengths they can bring to the group. At the end, I told my mentees to flip over their piece of paper and on the back I had chosen a personal quality from that list that I thought they had. I then wrote why I think they possess that quality and how they show it. It really boosted their confidence and showed I was proud of them. Again, this activity taught me to be self-less and that everyone deserves some encouragement.

21: To make all your friends feel that there is something in them. - Optimist Creed

22: When it came to my last break-out, I was very sad. It was hard because I felt as though I built a strong connection with my mentees. As the semester grew on, some mentees began to sit with me in class, and by the very last day I had more than half sitting with me. My senior mentor, Kayla, had us write letters to ourselves on our first break-out about what our goals were for the semester. On our last day of Mentorship she returned those letters back to us to see if we reached our goals. | Our Last Break-out Together

23: In this letter I had said “My goals for my mentees are to make them feel more comfortable with their surroundings and talking with other students. I want them all to be friends .” I would say I have closely achieved this goal. One mentee, Edmond, told me on our last day, “I definitely made friends in our group that will last me throughout University.” | My Goals for my Mentees | To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. - Optimist Creed

24: In my letter, my goals for myself were “to break myself out of my comfort zone, to actively participate in group dynamics, and to be more aware of myself and my strengths.” I think I have achieved this goal. I am more aware of my strengths, who I am, and who I want to be. | My Goals for Myself | To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best. - Optimist Creed

25: The strengths I learned about myself were that I really care about the well-being of others. There is no reason why I can’t assist someone from reaching their full potential. Mentorship and Learning has also made me want to continue on with my education. At the beginning of the semester, I was set on graduating with my Honours Degree in Political Science and then look for a job. But, after taking M&L, I now want to gain more skills, and to learn more. I am currently considering either doing my Masters degree in Political Science, my Masters degree in Social Work, or going to Teacher’s College. This class has made me realize the sky is the limit and there is no reason why I cannot do more with my mind. I am now really passionate about this. | Looking to the Future

26: Our Guest Speakers | Some pictures of me and mentor Jessica exercising the G.L.E.N principle and doing good in our community. | Help someone to become active | Make someone smile, make a random person's day that much better. | Surprise us,what can you do to help someone. | Helping students with their community project.

27: Glen Bacarro | During this course, I was really looking forward to all of the guest speakers. Listening to others’ success encourages me to stay positive. Glen was great because he spoke about cleansing your life of negative people and welcoming in the good. I was going through a personal situation in my life during the time of his talk- whereby I was re-thinking my friendships and who was good for me. I was having thoughts about certain people holding me back, so Glen gave me reassurance I was doing the right thing. You have to look at your surroundings and enact change in order to move forward. He taught me to take responsibility for myself.

28: Chantal Vallee | Chantal was very inspirational for me because I could relate to her story. She was just like us, a student, and then worked her way up in coaching. Even though she is currently successful, she sometimes feels like a bad leader. She is vulnerable too, and has her faults which shows she is still learning just like us. Her strategies for success and how it relates to sports was helpful; they could relate to ANYTHING in life. She impacted me the most when she said, “success is not the norm; failure is the norm.” Not everyone is successful and you cannot always expect success. The key is to work hard, try your best, put in the effort, and learn.

29: Chris Rabideau | Chris’s talk was a nice wrap-up and spoke a lot about the future. He got me thinking about which direction I want to go in, and how I should reflect on my entire mentorship experience. I am now ready to embark in my next adventure and am so excited for my Public Management Internship next semester. I believe mentorship has prepared me for this role, and I cannot thank the class enough for being applicable to real life situations. I liked the idea of Chris’ backpack and how he said this is my story. His story was like a living backpack..and so will mine!

30: Past mentors coming back to talk to us was awesome. It got me thinking how they used mentorship in their future careers. One in particular, Sue, was really inspirational when she told the story about the one boy in her class who she impacted. It was a beautiful story and made me realize I want to have that feeling every day at work- helping someone else when they feel like they have no one. It got me thinking that two of my favourite recent experiences have been a) Mentorship and b) coaching soccer. What both of these have in common is leadership- so maybe leadership is the right role for me. | To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. - Optimist Creed

31: Tina had us do two activities throughout the semester. She gave us a tree and we had to circle the image that was closest to my experience of Mentorship at the time. On October 19, 2012 I placed myself with the one figure standing on the platform on the tree. Under it I wrote: “I chose this image because I feel as though I am at a good spot in mentorship right now. I have done what I can and am at a good spot- but what is the next step? What can I do/change to get my mentees more engaged and more involved? Also, what can I do for ME to grow as a mentor, and reflect on myself more; push the limits.” | Reflection

32: The second time I did this was on November 301,2012. This time I chose the three figures hugging each other. Under it I wrote: “I think that I am a lot more comfortable now than I was a couple weeks ago. The debates really helped my group to form, work together, open up, and to be more of a community. The speakers helped me to think about MY life, future, and where to go from here. Mentorship doesn’t have to end. It is a circle relationship- we help our mentees and they also help us.” **That is why I chose the image of the three people. To show that all of us are working together, and that it is not just me encouraging them, but all of us empowering each other.

33: What I take away from that activity and this class as a whole is a sort of symbolism. I look at the image on our tshirt of the tree. It seemed simple at the beginning to realize what the tree meant. But now I see that the tree represents a never-ending learning experience. Trees grow leaves, change colour, lose their leaves, and then grow again. It is a never-ending process of growing, just like in our own lives. We encounter learning moments- these are the leaves of the tree growing. These learning moments then help to change us, which are the leaves changing colour. These changes means letting go of the past and moving towards the future. This is the tree losing its leaves. Finally, learning from that experience and becoming a more aware empowered person, are the leaves growing again. It is a continuous process we all go through to become a stronger, confident, and more intelligent person. I cannot wait to embark on my next journey as a leader. The amount I have learned in one semester will last me a lifetime ! :)

34: Molly and Becca are my happy thoughts. They bring so much sunshine, laughter and joy into our home. I'm always fascinated by their wild imaginations. They inspire me to be daring, take chances and dream. I am so grateful for my little giggly girls. Life would not be the same without them. | More Mentorship Photos...

39: The day had finally come, James was ready to come out and meet the world. We arrived at Roseville Sutter around 12pm and 6 hours later, out popped our precious little boy. Matt was with me during the delivery along with my mother Charlene. We were thrilled to finally get to see James. The joy we all experience when we saw James for the first time was indescribable. We were lucky to have an uneventful delivery, and were anxious to take him home to start our new life together as a family.

40: My Best friends Amber and Jen | There's never a dull moment with these two.

41: Cannon Beach ,OR

43: Josh spoiled me this Valentine Day. First he picked me up from work and whisked me away to a spa retreat where we enjoyed getting pampered all day and to top it off he took me to dinner at a lovely restaurant overlooking the largest waterfall I have ever seen. It was very romantic. I felt so loved. It was an unforgettable perfect day. Thanks Babe.

45: Easter Brunch at Grandmas house. The kids had a great time coloring eggs with Grandma Mary. Kailey found the most eggs and Amy came in second with only 1 less egg than Kailey. It was a close one

46: Mom and I spent the day together shopping, dining, and getting pampered which was all wonderful, but I'd have to say my favorite part of the day was when we just sat and talked for hours about past memories and dreams for the future. This was the best Mothers Day gift I could have received. I will always remember that day and hope we will get to share many more together in the years to come.

47: the

48: We thought it would be fun to surprise Dad with a day at the river. The kids woke him up bright and early with breakfast in bed and gave him the Fathers Day cards they made. Then we packed up the car and drove to the river where we all went whitewater rafting. We stopped half way down the river to eat lunch and then we hiked up to a beautiful waterfall. Later in the day the kids gathered some firewood for a campfire. We all sat around listening to Dad share stories from his childhood. It was such a fun day. The kids got wet and had a blast and will remember this day with Dad forever.

50: Kendra, Beth and Leah had a blast on their trip to Colorado this summer. Kendra just got her drivers license and was in the mood for a road trip so they all packed up and left for the open road with Colorado in their sights. It was hard to see my little girl drive away, she is an adult now and its time to let her go. I'm glad they had fun and arrived home safe. She'll always be my little girl...

51: June 15th 2012

53: We all had a blast at the 4th of July beach party in San Diego this year. Kelly won the watermelon eating contest and Parker experienced fireworks for the very first time. It was great to spend time with so many wonderful friends. We can't wait to do this again next year.

55: We had a blast at the Johnson's Annual Beach BBQ this year on South Padre Island, Texas. Charlie won the rib cook-off and James won the pie eating contest. The girls had fun helping at the face painting booth and everyone had a blast playing all of the games like the water balloon toss and potato sack race. We walked away with great memories and some new friends. We're all looking forward to next year.

57: 6/12/12 | Our Annual Family Reunion was fantastic this year! We had so much fun playing games, telling stories and eating lots of great food. My favorite part was listening to all of the grandparents tell stories about their childhood, boy how things have changed. It makes me grateful to live in such convenient times. I will always cherish the memories we create at these special events. I hope everyone had as much fun as we did. Until next year... | FAMILY

59: Molly's turning 3! | Molly had a princess party with lots of games, friends and a special princess cake. We spent the day at Fairytale Town and the kids had a blast making their own princess crowns and wands. The best part was when the princess came out to surprise Molly, the look on her face when she saw a real live princess was priceless. What a fun day!

61: Car packed, camping gear loaded, coffee in hand and ready to hit the road...and we're off! The kids didn't sleep a wink last night, they were so excited about the trip they stayed up helping Dad pack the car. We've been looking forward to having some time together and I think this was just the thing we needed. A long, long drive. | Colorado Here We Come!

62: Play time at The Jones house. Parker, Kim and Andy had a blast playing tag and hide and go seek now they're all tuckered out and ready for nap time...

64: Andy and Sarah's first day back at school. I can't believe Andy is in Kindergarten and Sarah is in First Grade this year. My little babies are growing up too fast. This is going to be a great year!

67: Bride getting ready photos

68: We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. The whole family came over and I prepared my very first turkey and it was a success! This year we thought it was important to give back so after dinner we all went to serve Thanksgiving dinner to those less fortunate. This was the best part of the day. We all decided that serving the homeless will become a new family tradition.

71: Laura is growing up so fast. crawling around getting into anything and everything. Before you know it she'll be walking.

73: Taylor's first Christmas was a memorable one. All of the family came over Christmas morning and we enjoyed opening gifts and eating lots of yummy treats. Later that evening we joined all of the neighbors on a Christmas carol sing along. It was magical.

74: Bride getting ready photos

75: Everyone came to our house to celebrate Hanukkah. We all had a lovely time. This is my favorite time of year. I can't wait until next year.